Breakfast in European Hotels — My Favorites

posted by Sharon Odegaard 36 Comments
Innsbruck Austria

One difference between our travels in Europe and in the U.S. is that often breakfast is included with the stay in Europe. When we travel locally, if the room does come with breakfast, the food is likely bagels and toast and yogurt, with a bit of fruit (maybe). We’ve been known to pass up the “free” meal and go to a restaurant due to the mediocre quality of the hotel food. When we’ve journeyed to places like France, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, breakfast is notable. Cheeses, meats, a variety of egg dishes, salads, veggies, guacamole, and even chocolate pudding (yum!) are ours for the eating. Thinking back on standout hotel breakfasts, some favorites come to mind. Here they are, along with the reasons these are memorable for me.

Innsbruck, Austria

The Golden Adler Hotel in Innsbruck first opened its doors in the 1300s. The original stone can still be seen in places. Imagine starting your day with the echoes of 600 years of people coming and going here all around you. Innsbruck

Innsbruck AustriaInnsbruck AustriaInnsbruck AustriaInnsbruck Austria

Paris, France

Other times it’s not only the hotel itself, but what’s right outside the doors of the hotel. One of my favorite places I’ve stayed (ever!) is the Hotel des Grand Hommes in the Latin District of Paris. The hotel itself is elegant and comfortable, but here’s what amazed me. The Paris Pantheon was right outside our window. Paris Pantheon, Hotel des Grand Hommes

The hotel itself dates back to 1919 and is named for the inscription across the front of the Pantheon that translates: “To the great men, from a grateful nation.”Paris Pantheon, Hotel des Grand Hommes

Breakfast is served in the stone cellar. You proceed from the lobby down the winding stone steps to an elegant setting. You leave by the winding iron stairs. The bowls of fresh fruit and flaky croissants arrive at your table via a cheerful server, and you’re ready to enjoy the feast. Paris Pantheon, Hotel des Grand HommesParis Pantheon, Hotel des Grand Hommes

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Sometimes the hotel is small and is in what once was a residence. Breakfast is served in what was obviously the front room or dining room. Here’s where we stayed in Amsterdam, the Hotel Brouwer, with the year of its founding clearly noted — 1632. The front room was on the street, across from one of the canals. Amsterdam Hotel Brouwer

Amsterdam Hotel BrouwerAmsterdam Hotel Brouwer

Our food was kind of plunked down in front of us and no options or menu were given, but blue and white tiles hundreds of years old decorated the room. And a winding wooden staircase traversed through centuries led up to the rooms. So I was one happy traveler. Amsterdam Hotel Brouwer

Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Then there is the hotel breakfast that is first class and offers so many delightful foods that you wish you could eat a week’s worth of meals in one sitting. We generally don’t stay in modern, upscale hotels during our trips to Europe. But we were heading to Bastogne to tour battlefields and couldn’t get a reservation at the few hotels in that small town. We “settled” for staying in Luxembourg City, a destination not on the radar of many of my traveling friends in the U.S. I was actually asked, “Why would you go to Luxembourg?” It turned out to offer fascinating casemates to tour, and I found a good rate on Le Royal Hotel. The breakfast offered cooked-to-order dishes and anything else you could imagine at the various stations. The breads filled one entire room. Take a look. Luxembourg City

Luxembourg CityLuxembourg CityLuxembourg CityLuxembourg City

They even had smoothies of the day. And service at this hotel gets an A+. Luxembourg CityLuxembourg City

Nuremberg, Germany

Of course, some hotels excel at breakfast for several reasons. We booked a return stay at the Hotel Elch in Nuremberg last year. The yummy breakfast is set out on lovely dishes and bowls and comes complete with fancy signage in German and English. And a big factor in our coming back here is that every staff person is so friendly and helpful. History? Yes — this building opened as an inn in 1342 and was one of the rare survivors of the bombing of World War II in this city. The medieval wall is a short block from here. Sometimes travel is so rewarding!Nuremberg Germany, Hotel Elch

Nuremberg Germany, Hotel Elch

 

How about you? What’s most important to you when you think about choosing a hotel (or returning to one)? The food, the service, the setting, or variety of choice? Breakfast European Hotels

 

PIN IT FOR LATER!! Breakfast European Hotels - Exploringrworld.com

 

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36 Comments

Carol at

Oh yummy breakfasts and lovely settings – I’m ready to eat!

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Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin at

Now I am hungry!!

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Molly at

Fresh fruit and pastries is the way to go in my opinion

Mollyx

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// Heidrun at

It looks delicious. Have a good time there.
Heidrun xxx

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Junieper/Jesh at

Great post for All Seasons, Sharon! True, we do the same thing and forego the free breakfast here:) Ah, the croissants is what I am missing – and the German brothchen! – they are defintely made differently in Europe. In the Netherlands, sorry for the poor service – try next time one of the “van der Valk” Hotels – they used to have a Swedish smargesbord for breakfast. Enjoy your summer week!

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Eileen Wise at

Hello, I remember a wonderful breakfast at our B&B in Engelberg Switzerland. I think our latest stays at various Hilton hotels, they all included a nice breakfast. Your photos are lovely, the food looks delicious. Enjoy your day, wishing you a great new week!

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Mother of 3 at

Those do look so good! I remember having some very tasty breakfast items at our hotels in France. We just stayed in a hotel over the weekend and did indeed pass up their “free” breakfast to go find one of our own.

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Jade @ Captured by Jade at

Some tasty looking photos here… I am definitely more swayed by a hotel if they cater breakfast.

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Jackie at

We spent a month in Europe in May and really enjoyed our included breakfasts. In Canada and the US the free breakfasts are mediocre at best. So we will often skip them as well unless we are on a road trip and in some remote highway hotel. We do take advantage of our gold Hilton status and take their good hot breakfast, but wouldn’t pay their crazy prices of $15-25 per person for it.
So yes, definitely they are worth it in Europe.
You reminded me though, that the best included breakfast buffets we had were in Asia!!!

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riitta k at

I enjoyed your post and it was interesting to see the different styles of the breakfast rooms – so cosy in Amsterdam and ultra modern in Luxemburg. I don’t eat croissants at home, but traveling they are a treat. Mostly I book a hotel according to location, and the proice also matters.

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Su-sieee! Mac at

D-r-o-o-o-o-l. I want to go to every hotel you described in your post!

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Mandy at

I think the best breakfast I’ve ever had was in Strasbourg. They served a combination of German and French foods. Yum!

As for US breakfasts? The Waldorf Astoria in Maui offers a huge breakfast (potentially just for elites, I don’t remember). We had lots of fruit and bread options. They even put together a to-go breakfast for my husband and me! It was a fantastic experience!

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Katherine at

I love a good European hotel breakfast! Even when it’s just bread and cheese, it’s fantastic bread and delicious cheese! I stayed at a little B&B in Bruges that had the best breakfast. Even though it was a tiny place they had the whole array of deli meat, eggs, bread, fruit and cereal. You’re right about US hotel breakfasts as well, after being spoiled in Europe I was definitely surprised by the US offerings.

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Allison at

I loved the breakfasts we had in Ireland. Though I’m a fan of free breakfasts anywhere. Even in the States. I always opt for the make-it-yourself waffle. #wanderfulwednesday

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Cristina - Memories of the Pacific at

They are all the perfect breakfast settings! Breakfast is my favorite meal and it’s the part I enjoy the most when I stay at a hotel. Let me recommend breakfast in Spanish hotels. It’s an amazing experience 😉

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William Kendall at

And now I’m famished!

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Rhonda Albom at

I found the quality of hotel breakfasts in South America (at least Argentina and Chile) to be outstanding and similar in calibre to those in Europe. The cheeses and meats were nice but the pastries were a step up.

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Anna at

I love this German breakfast in Nuremberg inside a building opened in 1342. I´d say the service is the key factor for me when choosing a hotel, while a good breakfast is definitely a bonus – it´s so important to start the day right!

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image-in-ing: weekly photo linkup at

Gorgeous photos – what a wonderful breakfast tour!
Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2019/07/save-gato.html

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Usha Sitaaraam at

What a great list. I enjoy the breakfast spread when on vacation. Your post made me think, where I enjoyed the breakfast most. I love the croissants in Paris. #feetsotravel

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Lorita | Ting and Things at

These breakfast and environment are so lovely!

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Linda (LD Holland) at

I do love the fact that breakfast is often included in Europe. And love tasting the variety of the local foods. Flakey pastries in Paris are always a treat. Smoothies for breakfast is a great option. But I must admit that I get a bit tired of ham and cheese. Since this is often the staple protein selection at most European breakfasts we have done.

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Katie at

I have to admit I find it difficult to avoid the hotel buffets – especially when there are so many good options available! It’s my treat when on holiday though!

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Amy at

Breakfast is my favorite meal, but I often skip it when I’m home. I look forward to wonderful places to eat when traveling. Looks like you found some gems!

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Rob+Ann @TravelLatte(.net) at

European breakfasts are SO much better! We were spoiled rotten during our stay in Killarney, enjoying a “Full Irish” with a view of the National Park every single morning! It’s a wonder we didn’t come back at twice our normal size. 😉

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bye:myself at

I totally get you! I love hotel breakfast in Europe, too. When I was treated to what they call ‘continental’ breakfast on my first US-trips, I was a bit shocked. Also, in Europe, we mostly have healthier breakfasts, that’s good, too.

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Kalyan Panja at

I would love to plan a week long trip to Western Europe soon. Your photos and recommendations are making me want to visit this place now only and stay in these lovely looking hotels with such nice facilities.

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Lisa | Handmade in Israel at

Love this post! Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and some of the ones you have eaten look amazing! You need to come to Israel though – Israeli breakfasts are the very best! #FeetDoTravel

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Andrei Salokhin at

Cool photos!!! Thanks for sharing your experience

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Sage at

I love Europe, and I love breakfast. If you need someone to help you conduct any further research into the best European hotel breakfasts, I’m your girl! But seriously, your post got me thinking about my favorite hotel breakfasts in Europe. After living there for seven years and going back many time since, both for work and fun, my hotel breakfast in Istanbul (which was on the European side of the city) probably stands out above the rest.

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Bree at

Oh the breakfasts in Europe are amazing. For me double amazing lol not really the right words as they always have delicious gluten free bread, croissants, muffins etc. Here in Australia they often refer to a “continental breakfast” but you get so much more in Europe. A continental breakfast is toast cereal juice….give me the European Breakfast any day.

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Sarah Wilson at

Seems you find far better hotel breakfasts than I do. I guess I need to up my budget a little 🙂

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Jan at

I love breakfasts! We always book hotels with breakfasts included. We look forward to the yummy elaborate Scottish, Irish and English breakfasts. Then have some light lunch. Did you know that in some parts of Australia hotels actually serve the breakfast in your room? Came as a surprise to us too! Enjoyed your blog! 🙂

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Astra at

Very nice posts, but I have to comment on how I got here – I’ve been traveling to Europe for over forty years and am happily familiar with the wonderful breakfast offerings. Sept. 2022 was my first time back in Germany since before the pandemic and I was surprised to see breakfast being offered for a fee in every hotel we stayed (between € 20-29). I just looked up the Hotel Elch (Nuremberg) and the Goldener Adler (Innsbruck) you mentioned – they charge €29 and €21 for breakfast. I’m curious as to when you were last there? I swear I’m not that old (55), but I feel like I’m losing my mind. It wasn’t always like this, was it? I got to this site because I was googling when this change took place – when did they start charging for breakfast? And why so much? I have to assume much of this is a result of Covid and lost revenue. Thoughts?

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Sharon at

Hello, Astra, and thank you for your comment. This article was written pre-pandemic. I noticed in going back to France a couple of months ago that breakfast is rarely included. Hotels are still struggling and may serve a wonderful breakfast, but it will likely be an add-on cost. I talked with one hotel owner who hung on through the pandemic and is still having a tough time. But she bakes goodies for breakfast and it was well worth a little extra. Restaurants and hotels were so friendly and happy for people to be traveling again!

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